


A Warrior's Lament

by Wisdo101



Category: APH Hetalia, Hetalia - Fandom
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-26 16:56:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14406450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wisdo101/pseuds/Wisdo101
Summary: Lutz was a strong fighter in his tribe, fighting like a lion and unstoppable on the battlefield - but it ended when his men were defeated and he became a prisoner of war by his enemies. He finds he's become a part of the games his captors have and is against anything that has to do with them. The man agrees to it when promised he will be able to return home; so now Lutz is determined to win every fight to in closer to finally getting away. But when a young man named Oliver enters the warrior's life, Lutz strays from the thought of getting home to his family. Fighting to get back home and fighting for love; which one would better?





	1. Chapter 1

 ((This takes place in ancient Rome, but besides a few real places, activities, and similarties,most of this will be fiction.<3))

The battle between the Germanic tribes and the invaders from Rome was rough but for one warrior, it was a thrill. Lutz, of the Northern tribes, hated wars; but this bought out his skills and he would do anything to protect his home. With his height and muscular toned body, the man was a force to be reckoned with in a fight. Back home, Lutz wasn’t just one of the best fighters, but he was the most eligible for a husband, so. He had his plans just as much as the next man; fight hard, drink to the gods, and eventually, settled down with a family. With his battle ax in hand, the blond man eyed the battlefield, counting who was left. It made him slightly nervous when he saw that his men were outnumbered, but any of them can knock down 2 or 3 of these invaders down without a doubt. But they fought differently than anyone the Germanic men ever came across – Lutz’s men tried to separate the large group, but they remained in one large group with shields and spears at hand. Lutz would admit, these Romans from across the way were very skilled fighters and had strategy, which he commended. 

Among the very few who fought, Lutz was one who was lucky enough to be educated and studied a bit of the language of these Roman invaders from the last time they raided through his home. It wasn’t much, and he understood it better than he can speak it, - no matter what, he knew it was useful with these invaders. With this knowledge, he was at the side of the generals and leaders to plan out attacks. Before, the Romans would come once in a blue moon, but recently they’ve become persistent, making it harder for Lutz’ people to gather more soldiers. All of the Germanic men knew that it was to take over their lands and subject them to servitude for the Roman people. The current battle they were in, was planned, but it still took down more men on the German side than the Roman side. Wiping down two more men who attacked, Lutz looked around and called out to his men, “Don’t let any of them get pass! Don’t hesitate to attack the horses either!” He heard a few men agree, feeling that they were almost done with this battle. But he heard one of the Roman generals call something and the remaining men were back into a formation. It confused Lutz, but then he saw a line of men come forward with bows and arrows.  He watched as they raised their weapons, waiting for the command to unleash their arrows.

Lutz’s purple eyes widened, knowing with that many arrows and how quick he’s seen these trained soldiers use their bows, it would be hard to steer clear of them. “Dammit….” he mumbled, then yelled back to his remaining men, “Get to the trees, now! Shields up!” Once the Germanic men began to run, the arrows were released with the unison whistle of each one leaving the bow.  Lutz ran with the others, trying to get to the security of the large trees, but within seconds, the arrows came. The retreating men were pierced with the attack with them either falling or still moving with their wounds. Lutz managed not to get hit, praying to the gods they would have mercy on his men to get home safely. But the second round of arrows came, and he was hit in the shoulder with two of them, knocking the large man down. Covered in blood, sweat and dirt, the man didn’t move for a moment before looking to see the remainder of his men get wiped out by the soldiers that marched through with their swords. He watched as these men – men he’s trained with, hunted with, and shared a drink with – all fall like cattle. Clutching the ax in his hand, the wounded warrior ignored his pain to stand up and charge after the nearest Roman soldier and attacked, slicing the enemy soldier's head clean off.

The other men noticed and came after him, but they were smart not to come after the charging man. As they got closer and got a chance to attacked,the larger man knocked them down in anyway he can to kill them. Five men were already down with the rest of the Roman soldiers attack at once to attack the charging man, avoiding a hit by the large ax. One of the generals grabbed a bow and arrow, shooting at Lutz’ calf, making him trip but he continued to move. They settled with aiming and shooting at the Germanic warrior’s side to finally knock him down. Approaching carefully, the soldiers aimed they spears at Lutz, ready to kill on command. The general came, looking down from his horse, to eye him – then gave a smirk before speaking. Lutz could only make out the words “good” and “add him” and was confused as to what was happening. _Why are aren’t these bastards killing me? They haven’t they killed? They have me down already…_ Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the man was praying for a swift death to join his brothers in the afterlife. He didn’t want to give up, but the warrior knew he was outnumbered and wouldn’t last if he ran. But instead of the swift blade to his neck, Lutz felt a hard punch to the face, giving his brain no time to process it before he blacked out on the ground. 

* * *

When Lutz finally came to, his mind and sight was clouded, but he can make out the sound of hooves hitting the ground. The smell of blood and death was what reminded the warrior that he was in battle – with the images rushing back into his mind of his fallen men, he finally came to. But instead of laying dead in the middle of the battlefield, Lutz was in a cage, tied up with other men he didn’t recognize, with 3 other men who all kept their heads down. _What the hell do these Roman bastards have planned here…?_ He thought, looking around the forest they were trailing. He was already planning way to get out of here and escape before an old man in the corner gave a scoff, “Don’t even try, boy…you won’t get far…” Lutz glanced at the man, giving a look as the old man continued, “One other tried to and those soldiers threw a spear at his head.” The warrior glared at the older man, “You speak as if you know why we are prisoners instead of dead.”

The older man waved a hand, “I am here because they found I am a scholar who can enlighten them on the tribes. As for you, by the looks of it, you are to be taken to their city and sold off to the highest bidder.” With that information, Lutz snarled, “As if I will be some lackey to a Roman snob that only know how to divide and conquer! I rather die than to bow to another!” One of the soldier snap at him, mumbling something under his breath but the warrior knew what he said. “They dare call me a dog…”

“Oh? You know Latin?” The old man asked, looking intrigued. Lutz lowered his voice, “I do…but I tend to forget a lot of it. I only know enough to understand the Roman’s commands…it’s helped my tribe before until…now…” The old man hummed, “What is your name?”

“Lutz Beilschmidt, second son of Alberich Beilschmidt, of the Northern tribes.”

The scholar gave a reassuring look, “Keep that skill fresh in your man, Lutz, son of Alberich. These men assume you are dumb and not educated like them. Listen to them speak and learn…when we are near their borders, you will be able to find a way back home.” Lutz scrunched his nose and nodded, keeping quiet to think this through. There was no way in hell he was going to let himself be taken back to the home of the monsters that killed many of his own people. Lutz was smart and already planned on killing these soldiers, steal one of the horses and ride back to the North. The subject of home made the warrior began to think about who was left back home, making him frown.  Will is brother be okay? His older brother, Gilen, couldn’t join him in battle due to an injury but was home with his wife and daughter. Lutz promised he would be back home safely but now he was stuck in a cage, wounds left unattended, and tied up. To the warrior, this was worse than death – humiliated by his own enemy and unsure what was going to happen next. _I pray to the gods they will help me out of this or kill me to end my humiliation of these Roman dogs…_

As the men traveled, the number of prisoners grew from 2 to 6 – two women, three men, and one child who clung to one of the women. All of them trapped in an unforeseen future – which made the warrior angrier, dying to rip one of these soldiers heads off. One night, when rations were given out, Lutz watched as one of the soldiers tried to harass one of the women. This made hid him snarl and attack the soldier, beating him down before the rest of them can stop him. He had the soldier in a bloody mess before he kicked away and pinned down. “Have this one tied to a horse and have him trail behind…if he falls, he falls.” With this, Lutz was forced to walk the next day with no food or water. He knew what they were doing…they wanted to know if he would break – it was 3 days of very little water and no food for the Germanic warrior to finally give in. Luckily, it was when they arrived at a secured camp that was a check point for the Romans as well as a market.

Lutz was sick to his stomach and tired from walking for so long – but he was still aware of what was going on. He picked up what the soldiers were saying, overhearing that they were near the main city. So…this is my last stop before I become someone’s slave? The gods are cruel for not killing me…. He was placed in a room with the other prisoners along with 9 other people where he collapsed against the wall. The man’s body ached, he smelled like a corpse, and his stomach ached for substance.  Lutz closed his eyes to try and tune out the unfamiliar sounds of outside, imaging a different place. He wished he was at home, surrounded by his family and his dogs; but here he was, stuffed away to wonder what would come of him.  It was midday when then soldiers came back to separate the men and women, speaking about the auctioning of them all.

All the men were bought inside to a marbled home, where all of them stood side by side.  The old scholar was beside him, eyeing the younger man and whispering. “You are still standing? You’re stronger headed than I thought, my boy.” He then straightened up when a group of robed men come walking in. “Time for judgement.”  Lutz remained silent as he kept his tired eyes forward, not once to look at any of the middle-aged men that eyed him. They stopped and talked about him from his looks to his stature – but most of it just irked the warrior. One man, who looked to be a higher-ranking soldier, came up to the warrior and started to talk. “There’s something inhuman looking about this one, my lords. Perhaps the others picked up an animal instead of a man.”

The Germanic warrior’s eyebrow twitched understanding everything the men in front of hi were saying. “As I admire your judgement, Claudius, I rather you not try to treat these people like idiots.” The auctioneer replied, making the soldier scoff, “Why? These men are nothing but barbarians that only know how to fight. We could be saying anything about them and they’ll have no idea what is being said. These barbarians are as dumb as an ox,” he looked at Lutz right in the eye, “especially this one. He looks like the dumbest one.” Lutz lifted his bound wrists and whacked the Roman in the face, knocking him down to his feet. This made everyone step back and guards to come and subdue him, with him snapping in their language. “I am not some animal, you damn Roman.” Claudius snapped and called for the warrior’s death, but the guard didn’t move when one of the robed men rose a hand up. “Actually, I would like to purchase this man.” All eyes went to a man with graying beard and a bald spot on his head; his tired eyes bared no ill manner towards any of them and he had a small smile. The auctioneer looked unsure, “I commend your eagerness to help my business, Lord Marius, but this man looks like a brute that.”

“A brute, perhaps, but he is also educated and would be a waste to have him in some field.” The balding man replied, looking at Lutz, “Do you have a name?”

Lutz gave curt reply, “Lutz”.

Marius looked at the others, “There you have it. I will buy Lutz from you and take him back to my home – he would make a fine addition to the games.” What does he mean by that? Lutz thought, not liking the idea that he was going to be a pawn in some man’s game. He watched as this man named Marius speak to the auctioneer and hand him a large satchel of coins. When the transaction was done, the warrior listened to them closely.  “Have him cleaned up and taken to my home. I want those wounds taken care of as well!” Now, Lutz watched as he was pulled away, unsure of what was happening, as he got one last look of this Marius before taken out of the examining room. He was put in a large room where a couple of older women began to strip off his old, bloody clothing.  If he wasn’t so tired, Lutz might have a little shyness, but he just let it happen while watching them. Once naked, one woman eyed his front, quickly blushing when her eyes went to the crotch area before calling for the others to take him to the water. Lutz admit, it was kind of funny, but he was in no laughing mood as he followed the women into a smaller room

He was sat down, confused, but soon relaxed when lukewarm water was poured onto his aching muscles. The women began to scrub his body, being extra careful around his wounds as they got almost every inch of his body. One of them was about to clean Lutz’ crotch, but he blushed and quickly grabbed her rag, slightly scaring her before he cleaned himself. He didn’t mean to scare her, but that was a dangerous territory and being cleaned like this was very weird.  When he was rinsed off, he sat there to air dry while the women went through a bunch of old tunics to find the best one to fight this large man. They’re going to make me look like one of them…oh joy…guess it’s better than wearing bloody clothing, he thought, watching as two women helped him dress. The tunic was a dull brown and he felt like his legs were exposed too much but it was clean - in fact, this was the cleanest the warrior has been in a long time. But Lutz was still unsure of what was happening and still had his guard up when the oldest woman led him out to where a man with two horses were waiting.

Lutz was told to get on one of the horses and was led through towards the city. During the ride, he watched everyone and all the people that were in it. The Roman people were quite different from his own from the way they conversed to the way they spoke to each other. Soldiers patrolled the city, woman and men kept away from each other, and he had the occasional stare.  The only thing that was similar was of the common folk in a market area bargaining with each other and talking among themselves. But these were Romans…the very type of people who conquered and took over places or people that weren’t them.  They came to a large home and the man who bought Lutz here, ordered him to follow, which he did but was ready. The Germanic warrior was on his guard, still unsure of what was going on and who this Marius man really was.   He was left in a small garden – oddly enough, with no guard, no one to stop him if he decided to run off. Lutz looked back at the exit he came through, thinking about how tempting it was to run…he could do it…he had enough energy to run and hide…

“You can run off, I won’t stop you.” The husky voice made Lutz turn to see Lord Marius standing by the opening to a hall with two servants nearby. “Though, I assure you, the men outside of my walls will not be so kind you to.”

Lutz eyed this man and barely spoke, “I can fight them.”

Lord Marius came walking to him, “Oh I’m sure. It’s why I purchased you after your attack on that ridiculous Claudius. Honestly, I was waiting for someone to punch that man in the face but held back the laught hat wanted to come out."” The warrior didn’t relax, but he moved to a position of folding his arms, “And why did you purchase me?” That question left a bad taste in Lutz’ dry mouth but he needed answers. “I see how strong you are, young man, and I believe you are the best candidate for what we have here in Rome. Come.” He gestured to the larger man to follow and the both walked deeper into the marbled home to the back where they had a view of the city. Marius then pointed to the large round building in the middle of it, “That is the Arena, the main stage for many events that everyone gathers to watch. You see, Lutz, I am what they call a Lanista here – I take care of a couple of warriors, like yourself, while they fight for all to see.”

The blond man glared at the man, “Let me understand this…you paid for me to be some spectacle for people?” This made him even more reluctant to settle with this, “Not only am I a prisoner I am to be some show for a man I do not know? How stupid do you think I am?”  Lord Marius sighed, “Think of this way: yes, you will be working for me as a fighter, but if you win, you don’t go empty handed. I am a political man but even with that, my finances have gone down due to my last warrior leaving. If I am to keep this home for my family, I have to have someone fight,” he could see Lutz wasn’t buying it,” Lutz, this is a good position for someone in your position. If you win, you get rewarded and when you are training, you will have everything – housing, food, medical, and eventually many other opportunities. Agree to fight for me and I promise when you are done, you can do anything you want.”

Lutz thought about this, rubbing his stubble chin. He didn’t want to become a spectacle and work for a man he barely knows, but if this gives him a way out, then perhaps it isn’t so bad. A bed, food, and such sounded good – but it didn’t hide the fact that he was owned by Roman and going to provide entertainment to hundreds of them. “What do I get if I agreed right now?”

“Food, wine and a bed. I will provide all those and if you win, your rewards will grow.” Marius replied. A heavy sigh came from the warrior and looked at the shorter man in the eye, “Fine. Agree to your offer…but promise me one thing.” The middle-aged man nodded, “Yes?”

Lutz gave a good look in the eye, “When the time is right, I want to be allowed to leave with no protest.” Marius hummed and thought it over, “It will be tough and take time; but I promise I will provide everything you need to return home, Lutz.” Both men held out their arms and grabbed each other’s forearms to seal the agreement then Marius called over one of the servants. “You will start training in two days. For now, Seneca here will take you to your room – I’m sure you’re in desperate need of food and sleep.” The warrior nodded and followed the servant towards the back of the home. He was shown a room and once inside, saw a bed and a table with a platter of food waiting for him. Lutz almost ran for the food, but he had to inspect it all – roasted meat, cheese, and fruit with a large mg of some red liquid. He sat down and ate everything, liking the new red liquid that was slightly bitter than the mead back home. Once done eating, Lutz went and laid out on the bed, not caring that it was a little hard – it was a bed and 10x better than the dirty ground. Finally, somewhat relaxing, the man let out a sigh and stared at the ceiling, “What have a gotten myself into?” He was unsure about all this, but it was better than being starved and treated like an animal by those repulsive soldiers. “If this is what the gods have given me instead of ending my life, then I pray they watch over me until I return home. I will kick every man's ass who stands in my way towards getting out of the wretched city."Lutz made a prayer - he prayed for his family to be safe, for his victories, and thanked them for letting him stay out of shackles. Once his prayer was over, the warrior laid on his good shoulder and let sleep finally consumed him for the rest of the day.


	2. Chapter 2

Lutz didn’t know how long he slept but when he woke up, it was midmorning and he wasn’t sleeping on the cold ground. The German man had to do a double to realize what he has agreed to with one of these Roman men. A Roman man paid for him to be a fighter? Why couldn’t this Lord Marius find one of his own to fight for him? This puzzled the man as he began to move to sit on the side of the bed, looking at the table to see fresh food. Lutz leaned over and grabbed the plate and began to eat, “At least the food is good…” He nibbled on the food before perking up at a knock, watching the servant named Seneca enter, nodding his head.

“Lord Marius is waiting for you in the garden.”

Doesn’t take long for this man to give orders, the warrior though, nodding and finishing the last bit of food. He could eat 2 more plates of this food from being starved nearly two days, but Lutz figured this was better than nothing. He fiddled with the weird footwear he was given then stood, following the smaller man out of the room. Lutz kept to himself, not letting his eyes wonder as they waked through to the back once more, catching the faint sound of swords clashing. As they went down a path, Lutz can see down below at some small field where other men were training with swords. For a moment, the German warrior watched as they moved, studying the way they moved and found it odd that the men moved almost in unison. To him, they weren’t fighting but just moving back and forth with weapons. “Weird…” He mumbled, continuing to watch until Seneca cleared his throw, “Right this way.”

Lutz pulled away from his watching to walk up the steps to find Marius sitting down with his own meal. When he saw Lutz, he stood up to welcome him, “Ahh, Lutz, good timing. Now that you’re here, it’s time to discuss what you will be doing. I’m sure you have plenty of questions about it all.” The German warrior nodded and walked to the table but refused to sit down with any Roman – to Lutz, it would be a betrayal to his people. Marius didn’t question it, but he noticed this as he spoke, “Now, first things first: here in Rome we like games that happen in the Arena. Everyone enjoys them and even the emperor himself encourage everyone to see at least one or two games.” He sipped at his drink, “But our most popular are the gladiator fights, who train to fight and become well known among the people.  We don’t throw inexperienced ones into the arena, so men like me are here to make sure our fighters are fit to fight. Most of the fights are a free for all but there is a strict rule of: no killing - which makes it fair but we've had to the death fights.With a good amount of training, we can manage for you to not kill anyone in the arena,I'm sure.”

“I don’t need training.” Lutz curtly replied.

This only made his new master chuckled, “I can see that, but you are not custom to our ways of fighting nor are aware of the rules. So, I will teach you’re those said skills and we’ll see what you can do. The last thing I need is losing money to a man I see potential in.”

Thinking this through, the newest gladiator scoffed at this, but didn’t say anything as he folded his arms. “Do you have any questions?” Lutz looked down at the ground, thinking about this and not wanting to pry into any further information of his temporary home.  But he did have one as Lutz glanced at the older man, “Who are you?” Lord Marius leaned back in his seat and hummed, “As you already know my name, I am Lord Marius, and I am a statesman here in the city and when I am not dealing with politics of the times, I am a Lanista. I have two sons as well – one in the military and one whose currently away studying to be a scholar. You will meet them within a month.” _There’s more of them? Great…_ , Lutz thought, looking off to the side as the older man stood up. “Well then, I suggest we get started.”

First things first, the Germanic warrior was introduced to the men he would be training with. Most of them were ex Roman soldiers who whispered something about Lutz that he couldn't understand. There was also one man who still had an accent different from the others as well as Lutz’ who was more open to introductions than the others. His name was Sadiq, Turk who was the only one who acknowledge him without being ordered to, which made the German man a little cautious. Next, Lutz was told the rules of the Arena; which were decent, but he found the ‘no killing’ ironic for these people who do mostly that outside of their own land. Lutz barely understood the other rules, realizing his Latin wasn’t as updated as he thought, but he tried his best to understand them all. Now, came the part of fighting – Marius bought Lutz to a variety of weapons to choose from. “Swords, spears, axes, short swords…choose wisely, for this will the weapon you use in your first battle.” Marius replied, watching as the large warrior walked up to the weaponry, examining each one. Lutz settled with the sword, missing the feel of one in his hands he raised it up to examine the detail as well as the weight. “Good metalwork…”

“Very good. Now the real fun begins!” Lord Marius replied, gesturing for one of the Roman fighters to square off with Lutz. This was proven to be a mistake. Once the two men were in the makeshift arena, the blond charged after the Roman with the intent to kill. His opponent barely had time to block as they fought and within minutes, Lutz had the man down with the blade at his neck. But he didn’t back off; the man was barely out of a battle with these very men and wanted to see them dead. “Back off, then!” The man below snapped, but Lutz didn’t budge, nudging the blade closer with Sadiq speaking this time, “Stand down, Lutz. This man is not your enemy and it’s not worth it.” _All Romans are my enemies…but this one is not…_ , reluctantly, Lutz pulled away, ignoring the spouts of disgust from the Roman.  With that gesture, the German fighter proved there was much work to be done before his first fight in the Arena

The first fight was in 3 weeks so this mean training in the morning as well as the evening. Lutz found this to be no problem for he used to train this way back home. But the unlikely man became a very stubborn opponent towards any of the others. Whenever Lutz was put against another, he would beat them down, letting out his anger with each strike. None of the men wanted to go up against him because it ended the same – on the ground with the sword to his neck. This would have been excellent, if it weren’t for the fact that Lutz didn’t listen to the referees calls to end or when the German nearly pummeled one man so badly he may have to sit out the next fight. They began tot argue with Marius about this with even some of the other gladiators agreed they should just dump the barbarian since he couldn’t follow simple orders.  One chilly evening, 3 days before the games, Lutz was sitting outside, watching out at the city that was too loud or his liking. “Quite the site, isn’t?” The statesman replied, standing beside Lutz, who just folded his arms.

“Too loud...prefer the quietness of the forest…”

“Some of the men believe you that’s where you belong, among wild dogs and boar.” Marius replied, giving a side eyed look when Lutz just scoffed at him. “They must learn to keep their mouths shut then.” The older man nodded, “Yes, but any man would say that when their opponent Is trying to kill them while they’re in a sparring match.  It makes them cautious and weary about confronting you once more.” The larger man grumbled, “I’ve followed your rules…”

Marius sighed, “Aye, you have, but you do not listen nor do your fight these men as your equals. You fight them as if they are beneath you, which is why they do not want you sharing the arena with them.” The man’s voice changed to one of an encouraging tone, “I do not know what has happened in your past, Lutz, nor I am I here to tell you to like anyone here. All I ask of you, is to fight these men without falling into your desires of killing him for what he is.  One should never kill without good reason.” The younger man though this over, hating the fact that what Marius was saying was true, he just didn’t want to acknowledge the fact it came from the Roman. But Lutz realized that if he continued his way of fighting, he would be left with nothing. Looking down at the ground, the fighter gave a grimaced look, understanding that he would have use this Roman way of fighting. He gave a dry laugh, “To fight a Roman, I must become a Roman…I understand then, I will change my…habits…”

The statesman fixed the robe draped over his arm and shoulder, nodding in agreement, “You might hate it now, but I promise to you, it will get your further here in Rome.”  With that, Lutz was left to his own thoughts, as the agreement made his stomach turn. He wasn’t going to let this city fully change him, but the German fighter will change his fighting for the arena.  Lutz went to bed, letting his mind wonder to the images of his family, hoping they were okay. It made his heartbreak because the man didn’t know when he would see them again.  Closing his eyes, Lutz let himself fall asleep with that longing to be home once more.

 The next day at training, the men gathered, but none of them were willing to stand up to Lutz when it was his turn in the ring. Eventually, Sadiq took one for the team and stood in front of the other, his spear at the ready – when the referee called out, it began.  The fight started up as usual as they fought, with Sadiq being the only one to give Lutz a challenge. Soon, he was slammed down to the ground and his finger was up to end the fight.  But what surprised the others, when Lutz put his sword away and held a hand out to bring the Turkish man back to his feet.  They were clapped and some of the others were more lenient to fight with him and their training continued, with Marius quite impressed that his words got through to the German man. 

* * *

 

On the morning of his first real fight, Lutz was given a large breakfast with Seneca providing the reason for it. Giving reasoning that all fighters are given this meal to give them energy, strength and the possibility of it being their last meal. The German wasn’t planning on giving into death today – but he wasn’t going to show weakness in front of a crowd. He wasn’t going to give these people the enjoyment of him dying for their entertainment.  When he finished his meal, Lutz prepared for the day and joined the other men to be inspected by their Lanista. Lord Marius saw them, making sure no one was sick then smiled, “I expect all of you to fight like gods today! Whoever wins, is going to get quite the feast tonight!” He gave one closer acknowledgement to Lutz, who stood tall but showed no emotion in his cold face. “Don’t forget the main rule: no killing.” With that, they headed out towards the Arena with the German warrior keeping his sword close to him.

He paid no attention to anyone on the stoned streets that were watching the fighters as they walked. Lutz was being watched and whispered about since he was larger than most of them – what made him annoyed was they were betting on him like some animal. To tune them out, the man focused on the hope that he would be home away from all this. But was bought out of his inner thoughts when the sound of a cheering came from the massive, round building. It sounded like an army but instead of cries of war, they were cheers of encouragement. This made Lutz look up with curiosity as to what could be going on to make such noise. “Kind of odd, isn’t?” Sadiq replied behind him, making the German man look to the side. “I wouldn’t put it that way, but yes.”

“That, my friend, is where we’ll show these people what we’re made of!” The Turkish man exclaimed, being one who was already used to this kind of spectacle. “Right…to be something they can laugh at.” The blond man spat at the ground in disgust, but this only made Sadiq chuckle as they entered the place and were separated into separate rooms.  Lutz remained silent as he was prepared -  his tunic was replaced with that of the common garb that he’s seen the other men in. Lutz didn’t like it at all; his thighs and chest were exposed for all to see the scars of past battles. This made him question these Romans more, but it didn’t last no longer than a minute until the gate was up and he was gestured to go. Taking in a deep breath, the German man walked out, widening his violet eyes at such a site. The large arena was filled with numerous of men and women, cheering for the game to begin. His eyes went from the crowd to the other 3 men who were standing in the middle. Lutz walked to join them as the faced toward the emperor, and an older man who spoke out, “Welcome my fellow Romans to another glorious day of games! We’ve kept your waiting and now we can show you the newest addition to our arena! A barbarian from way up in the Germanic region!” The audience roared with cheers but a heavy dose of booing as the man continued to hype up the crowd until he finally stepped back.   

The referee came up to the group and spoke, “Alright gladiators, I want a clean fight now! If you hit the ground, you’re out!”  With that, the men acknowledge this and moved to a fighting stance facing each other.  Lutz noticed the other gladiators were eyeing him like hungry wolves. _They pitted them against me knowing I am the newest and inexperienced…those bastards expect me to lose first…_ he thought, clutching his sword and shield. At the sound of a horn, the other men came after Lutz without hesitation.

He eyed all three of them – risking getting either speared, stabbed, or whacked by the weapons they all had. The first fighter with the spear came after him first, jabbing the weapon towards the German who dodged. He then grabbed the spear and kicked the other, pulling the smaller man closer to head butt him down to the dirt. _That’s one…_ , Lutz thought as the crowd cheered and the referee calling the losing man out. The second man came after Lutz, swinging his hammer like weapon at him. Grunting at the hit to his arm, the German grunted and growled, taking a few more hits before stopping the second man with his sword. The third man came towards him seconds after, charging towards Lutz to hit him. Swords clashed as both Roman men attacked Lutz at once to making him either fall or give up. This pissed off the blond man and decided to drop the sword to punch one of them in the face. It caused the third man to back away while the second man swung his sword at the newbie. Ducking down, the German fighter used his shield to push into the ground, gaining more cheers and the referee calling ‘out’.  Two down…one more…, Lutz thought, picking up his sword to square off his last opponent, who smirked and charged after him. Metal hit repeatedly as the gladiators were in a duel to see who would win as the crowd cheered. The Roman was very experienced and proved to be a challenge for Lutz – blocking him was hard for the German.

Part of this challenge was the fact that Lutz was holding back. If he didn’t have the rules, the audience and such, he would beat this man to a bloody pulp. Keeping his mind clear, the man charged after his opponent, keeping the sword fight lasting until Lutz pushed the other down. The second man tried hard not to let his knees touch the dirt, but one heavy push and he was down, making the crowd cheer. The horns came, ending the fight among the fighters but it wasn’t over until the emperor said so. Lutz looked up at see this man stand up and raise a hand up in front of him and raised his thumb up, which was good by the way every cheered. He remained stone faced as he nodded then walked back inside, sitting down as a boy came to give him something to drink. “So, that’s the kind of games they play huh? Well then, I just might enjoy this if I get to fight Romans and embarrass them…” He said to himself, but the fighter still didn’t like that it wasn’t for anything but entertainment.

“That was a brilliant, my boy!” Marius replied, clapping as he came walking up to the fighter, “A little rough around the edges but I knew you had potential, Lutz.” Lutz glanced at him and gave a curt, “Hm” as he dressed in his usual tunic. “You earned your feast tonight. But for now, I must go and watched the others finish their fights. Stay here until it’s over.” The fighter nodded and folded his arms, glancing at the gate as the older man walked away. _One fight down…many more to come until I see my home again…_ , Lutz thought, giving a heavy sigh.

That evening, it was Sadiq and Lutz who earned their meals. The two of them talked over a feast that had a little bit of everything and the German man was liking this Roman diet. They sat on the floor with pillows, talking with a woman named Elizaveta who introduced herself as Sadiq’s lover he chose after a long fight. “Don’t worry, Lutz, a couple of more fights and you’ll have yourself someone to warm the bed at night!” The Turk joked, pouring more wine for the quiet German as he rolled his eyes. “We’ll see about that.”

The next following days was recuperation and going back to training. Lutz was still rough with his sparring opponents but was earning to control himself – which proved to be harder than he thought when he still had the intent to kill any Roman coming across him. Sadiq and Lutz leaned against the wall to look out and relax when the blond man caught site of pinkish blond hair. “Huh?” He looked closer to see that it was a young man walking with Marius, “Hey Sadiq, who’s that kid by Marius?”

Sadiq glanced down at them, “Ahh, that is Oliver, Marius’ youngest son. Must have returned from Athens…I suggest getting to know him. Oliver is the one in charge of getting doctors and clothing for us so if you need anything, Oliver’s your man.” He then smirked, "But good luck on trying to woo him. I've seen other fighters try to woo and get him into bed but end up getting embarrassed with rejection or being kicked out for trying to touch him."

“I see.” Lutz replied, watching as the pink haired man walked away, but he wasn’t impressed or seemed to be interested in another rich Roman, “I rather not deal with anymore Romans than I need to.” With that. The German man dropped the subject, finishing his drink before walking away to return to his sparring.


	3. Chapter 3

It was 2 weeks that Lutz was already put into his next fight, which he found annoying because it didn’t give him time to fully recuperate from his first one. The man only had some bruises and aching bones and could go for more fighting with the energy he had. This second fight was more of a sparring match than a fight because his opponent was Sadiq and they were showing off how well Marius has trained them. Everyone still loved it and cheered as Lutz beat his friend – who held his word of not holding back with his attacks. It was late afternoon by the time the games were over, and the German was back inside prepping to depart.  He was fixing his sandals when a soft new voice spoke up, “Father wasn’t kidding when he told me you fought like a god, though, I didn’t believe it until I saw it myself.”

Lutz looked up at see a young man with soft blue eyes and the pink hair that he recognized. This was Oliver that Sadiq told him about – but he didn’t expect such a young man. He couldn’t be no more than a few years younger than the German himself. “Glad you found it entertaining.”  He replied, finishing with his footwear and moving on to fixing his tunic.

“No need to be sarcastic. I’m being honest, I enjoyed watching you fight…and that’s saying something since I am not one for these games.” The young man replied, clearing his throat, “Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Oliver, Marius is my father.”

“Ja, I know who you are.” Lutz replied, not really wanting to converse with any Roman besides Marius. Oliver took noticed this, but he didn’t back down, “You know what’s surprising is that you only had 2 fights and so far, became quite the talk of the city. I can’t go anywhere without hearing about Marius’ ‘German brute’.” That made the large man glare at him, “I don’t need you to patronize me.”

Oliver blinked in confusion, “N-No, no! I’m not trying to! Honestly!” The fighter wasn’t having any of this as he stood up – clearly towering over the smaller man. The Roman man couldn’t help but stare up at him, slightly blushing because Lutz was close to him. Seeing the smaller one look more like a scared puppy, the fighter found it kind of cute. Figuring Oliver wasn’t much of a threat, Lutz stepped back to stretched, “Why are you here?” The Roman man fiddled with his words as he looked away from the man, “Like I said, I wanted to see you fight since father spoke highly about you at all of our dinners. Though, he said it might be hard talking to you because you don’t speak much.”

Lutz scoffed a bit as he put his sword away, “I don’t. Don’t like speaking much to people.” Oliver thought that over, perking up when he heard the others returning from the arena. He then smiled at the other, “I would like talk more with you if I can, Lutz.”

“I rather not. Don’t want to talk to anymore…Romans…” The German replied, folded his arms as someone called for Oliver. The pink haired man turned to leave but glanced once more at the man, “I think it would be good, though…I’ll show you not all Romans are bad.” With that, Oliver left the German to stand there and watch him go before he was greeted by Sadiq, who glanced at them both. “Ahh, you met the youngest son! Kind of an odd one isn’t here?”

“Yea…odd…” Lutz was the odd one here – or so he thought that – because he didn’t feel that anger nor the hatred he felt towards most Roman men. Since arriving, the German man felt angry towards the people who took away his freedom. He shook his head and started to walk, “Come on. I need to get some fresh air before I get the stench of this place stuck in my nostrils.” Sadiq just chuckled as the two of them met up with the other fighters to head back home.  Upon arriving back, Marius came up to Lutz and smiled, “Lutz! You’ve been upgraded! You’ll be moving into one of the larger rooms out near the garden. You’ll have more privacy and more room to roam around if you wish to remain inside.”  The German fighter nodded to show his gratitude with the Turk patting him on the shoulder. Seneca led him to the new place that had a small gathering are with a separate room that had a large bed. He was thankful for that because the smaller bed he was using before was awful on his back.

The servant boy then spoke, “We’ve prepared everything to your liking, Lutz. Now that you’ve become an established gladiator, you’ll be receiving different gifts with each victory.” Lutz gave a small hum of acknowledgement, “Tell Marius...thank you…”  Seneca nodded then left the man to his own – the fighter finally gave himself some time to relax on the bed. He was still thinking about the meeting with Oliver and wondered why he didn’t feel any negativity. It was odd because it was the first time Lutz has felt somewhere relaxed near any of the Romans he’s come across. For now, the man let it side as he finally let his muscles relax for a while before his dinner was bought to him at dusk.

* * *

 The days after that started out the same as usual for the fighter – he got up, had his first meal of the day, train till the afternoon, eat again, then remained hidden away till he was needed. Lutz was counting the days since he arrived here; it was going to be 2 months after the next moon cycle. Two months since he hasn’t seen his family nor his home and the very thought of that made the German’s heartache. It made him wonder what Gilen was thinking right now but if he had to point out reality, his older brother figured he died on the battlefield.  Laying out on the bed, Lutz stared up at the ceiling, thinking about this before he was called. “Lutz? You’ve been invited to dine with Lord Marius’ family this evening.” Seneca came in with new clothing for the fighter, “These robes were made for you to wear as well.”

“Dine with them? I rather not.” Lutz replied, sitting up to watch the boy lay his new clothing out for him. “I decline.”

“Umm...well…my lord insisted on it. It would be rude to turn down an offer…” The boy tried to woo the fighter to go, which just made him sigh. He rather be left alone but Lutz might as well entertain these people to get them off his back. “Fine. I’ll go…” This made Seneca smiled before bowing and leaving to relay the message to his master. Lutz glanced at the clothing and sighed, “They’re making me into one of them…” Lutz rubbed the fabric and sighed before he dressed in the new clothing, which was a dark red tunic that was slightly longer than his first tunic and showed off his muscular arms. “Not bad…” The German man over looked himself and gave a small smile – it was a rare occasion when the man got new clothing and these ones were fine.  With one last look, he left his new place and headed up the cobbled stone path that led up to the main house.

It would be the first time Lutz would be inside somewhere that wasn’t the arena or his room. As he strolled up to the opening, Seneca was there to greet him, bowing slightly as they walked in. This time, the German man took the time to view the details – the marble walls, the mosaic on the floor and a small shrine dedicated to some god. Everything showed that Marius had money and it made the fighter scrunch his nose at it all. _All too flashy…_ , he thought as he was bought to a large open room that was open to the outside. In the middle, there was a low table with lounge seats around it. Marius was the first to greet the man, but his eyes went to Oliver, who smiled and waved to Lutz. Again, the blond man felt at ease as he nodded back as his lanista spoke, “Lutz! Welcome, welcome! Please, come sit with us.”

Lutz took in a heavy sigh then walked over to sit on the side of the table, looking at the bowls of food as a maid came to pour him some wine. Marius sat back down and smiled, “How do you like your new place? I figured a man of your stature needed a much larger bed since you are bigger than a lot the other fighters.”  The fighter nodded curtly and took a sip of his wine, “It’s fine...bed is softer…”  Marius nodded and gestured to Oliver, “You have my son here to thank here. He was the one who suggested moving you to a larger place to accommodate you. He’s always been good with taking care of my fighters needs and health.”

Oliver was the one to speak next, “I’m just doing my part on helping, father. Besides, Lutz has become quite the talk among everyone and it’s only wise to keep him in good health.”  He smiled and chuckled, not realizing that Lutz was glancing at him with a slightly surprised look on his face. He barely met me and did that? I guess it’s his job…, the fighter thought, sipping his wine as food was bought to them. To distract himself, Lutz looked over at the meat, fruit, and cheeses that came, reaching out to nibble some. “Lutz? How do you like the fighting? I’m sure it’s quite new to you.” The pink haired man asked, joining in on the eating, along with his father, “Considering father tends to pick up different he see’s potential in.”

He’s seriously asking me that? Lutz thought, “…it’s tolerable.” Honestly, he wanted to snap about how they’re ignoring the fact that he was dragged here against his will and sold off like some animal. But Lutz held his tongue, watching Oliver frown, “Well, if you need anything just ask, okay?” Marius nodded, “We’re here to help you with anything and everything, my friend. What kind of man would I be if I let those working for me get sick or anything.” His son nodded as Lutz gave a small hum before continuing to eat in silence, listening to the father and son talk of politics. But whenever they tried to include him into the conversation, the German man refused to speak and waved them away.  It went like this for 40 minutes until Seneca came to let Marius know he had a visitor – the man stood up and left with, leaving the two younger ones alone.

There was awkward silence before Oliver looked up at Lutz once more, “So…how come you don’t you want to talk? I’m sure you have a lot to say…” The man looked at him, looking quite bored, “I do…just don’t know...not good at speaking.” The fighter replied, downing the rest of his wine – which he was starting to enjoy lately. The smaller man blinked and looked away, “Oh! I see…well…how about I help you?” Lutz’ hand stopped right above a plate when he heard the request, raising an eyebrow, “Why?”  A smile came across the other man’s face, which made his face glow and the only word that came to the fighter’s mind was ‘ _cute_ ’. Well, you’re going to need to communicate with others and show others you’re not some dumb fighter.  I just returned from studying and have plenty of time, so I don’t mind teaching you.” Oliver shrugged a bit, “Plus, you seem pretty interesting and I want to get to know you.”

“Not much to me. I fight and keep to myself, that’s how I like it…”  The German man replied, leaning back to relax and study this small man who still had his boyish features which made him wonder how old Oliver was. “You should get out more. Being cooped away inside your room is unhealthy…besides, I don’t have many friends here in Rome…”

Lutz raised an eyebrow, “I highly doubt that.”

Oliver just shrugged, “It happens when most men your age are part of the army or dedicated to other studies that take up their time. I like to be social, but no one is there to be social with…I guess it’s why I feel more comfortable talking to my father’s fighters than anyone since they’re around more.” That answers why Sadiq knew about him…still odd that he’s talking to me, though. Doesn’t he know what I am? Lutz thought, sighing as he decided to give in a little, “I’ll let you teach me…you gave a good reason…”  The young scholar clapped and said something that the German didn’t understand but it must have meant something good. “Great! Tomorrow, we can start after your morning meal and before your training!” Lutz still felt awkward about this, but he didn’t feel guilty about this agreement, nor was he starting to regret the decision. Marius returned and sat down with them, “Sorry for leaving – politics don’t stop even when you’re at home.”  They continued their dinner for the next hour, with Lutz mostly listening than talking, but really the conversations was mostly about Oliver’s month away.

When the dinner ended, the older man excused himself and left the two younger men alone once more. Oliver stood up and looked down at Lutz, “Did you enjoy the meal, Lutz?” Lutz stood up, towering over the smaller one and just nodded, “Yes. It was good…thank you…” They started walking to the opening that led to the smaller guest homes as the Roman man fixed his long robes, “Good. I’ll make sure you get anther delicious meal next time you have a big meal.” The fighter remained quiet, nodding to acknowledge the other, but was still wondering why this Roman was being so nice to him. For now, that question will linger until the right time – it will be answered otherwise it will bug Lutz. They walked to the opening until Oliver smiled, “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Lutz nodded and gave a slight bow, “Goodnight.” He walked away, feeling that same relaxation as when the two of them met the other day. As both were preparing for sleep in their own bed, both met were thinking about the other and what their new friendship could bring.

* * *

 As did follow, the two men met the next morning and started their lessons. Oliver figured that he would just help Lutz with words and phrases that he didn’t know. At first, the fighter was a little hardheaded and got frustrated when he couldn’t pronounce a word – which made it harder for the scholar to move to the next lesson. They only practice for 2 hours until Lutz decided to end it and join Sadiq for a sparring match. Patience, Oliver, he’ll come around… the pink haired man replied, watching the sparring match before heading back inside. Their lessons continued for a week with minor conversations – so far, Oliver knew about a few of Lutz’ likes and the fighter knew about his. But two hours wasn’t enough for the scholar to talk to him and with Lutz’ speech improving, he needed more time. At the end of the week, that morning he told his father of his plans then went to greet the fighter once more. “Lutz, today we’re going to do something different today.”

The larger man fixed his belt and raised an eyebrow, “What is it?” He was getting used to Oliver’s cheerfulness, but he was still unsure about the surprises the other might have. “We’re going out today – I want to show you the city and my favorite place.” The young man replied, who wasn’t in his usually long robes but a tunic like the fighters. The only difference was it had white trimming at the ends and it looked almost too big for the slender man. Lutz eyed his little teacher, particularly those long slender legs that had little muscle and could be mistaken for a woman’s legs. Clearing his throat, the German looked away, “Fine, fine. Lead the way…” He did his best to avoid looking at the scholar, but when the smaller man turned on a heel, Lutz got a good glimpse of Oliver’s butt. Stop it, Lutz…., the larger man thought as they walked out to leave – but what surprised him, was when he was given his sword. “What’s this for?”

“Well, you’re going to be my bodyguard for a day, so my father doesn’t get angry that I was out alone.” Oliver replied, shrugging a bit, but the fighter was still skeptical, “You trust a man you barely know with a weapon like this?” Not that Lutz would want to harm a hair on the scholar; it wouldn’t be right to harm the one whose been nothing but nice to him. “I trust you enough to not to use it against innocent people…besides, you’re a warrior who should always have his sword at his side.” The scholar smiled and gestured for them to leave, with Lutz giving a small smile before heading out with Oliver.

Starting they day, the two of them headed down the cobblestone street, with Oliver explaining the daily lives of the people who lived here. Lutz listened but showed a small disinterest, but he wasn’t going to stop the scholar. He found it kind of cute how eager the smaller man was to explain everything to him. They passed by a large building with pillars that was explained to be a ‘library’ that contained information of Roman history as well as where politics were held.  As they continued, a building with steam coming out made the fighter curious as to what it was. He didn’t smell food cooking, nor did he see a fire blazing – Oliver noticed the staring and hummed, “That is a bathhouse. Not many get to be in it but the rich but fight a bit more, you’ll get a chance to be in it. The warm water is great to soak your aching muscles but, don’t go during the day unless you want to see an old man naked in the bath with you.” Lutz gave a gross out look then continued walking, “Gross…”

Oliver just chuckled as they continued towards a market where he picked up a few items. Lutz looked ahead to pay no mind to any of the people there, but a few did notice him and were in awe.  He picked up the conversations of the people whispering about him in the arena but still look afraid to approach the man. As soon as they were out of the market, the fighter relaxed as they headed towards an open garden where Oliver led Lutz to a small hill to sit under a tree. He then plopped down and laid out the meal he bought for them. “Here we are. One of my favorite places to look out at the city.” Lutz looked out at the city then sat down beside his scholar, “It’s nice…not fond of it but it’s nice…” He replied, grabbing an apple and eating in silence with Oliver thinking about what to say next.

“You don’t like being around me, do you?” He asked, making the fighter stop eating and look at him, “Why do you ask that?” Oliver leaned back against the tree, “You tend to have a displeased look on your face…like you’re angry at everyone.” Lutz thought about this and sighed, “Can you blame me? I don’t live here, Oliver…Rome is not my home and I was forced out of mine to become a servant. How would you feel if an enemy took you away from your home?” The pink haired man opened his mouth to speak but closed it to look down and think about his next words. He then hugged his knees, “I would feel scared and worried…I’m…sorry for doing all this then. I want to help you become more situated here in Rome, but I didn’t think about how you might feel about it.”

Lutz looked at the scholar then moved a hand to ruffle the soft pink hair, “It’s fine…not mad at you…I like your company just don’t expect me to suddenly like everything and everyone. I’m only doing this fighting, so I can go home…” He looked at the frown on Oliver’s face and suddenly felt guilty for being the one to cause it. The German man looked ahead, “Don’t frown…it doesn’t mean I will stop being your student. Like I said, I like your company….” The smaller man looked up at the fighter with hopeful eyes, “Well, then can we move out relationship from student-teacher to friends?”

“Now you’re being weird. Why do you want to be friends with me?” Lutz asked, watching a smile grow on that boyish face of the scholar. “After that fight I saw you in, father told me you’re a great fighter but refused to get to know anyone. I was determined to make you my friend to help you out…” Oliver looked away and blushed, “Really, I wanted to ask you during our dinner together but I was so nervous that it came out as me being your teacher instead.” Studying the pink haired man, the German fighter found the other to be quite entertaining, _he reminds me of a rabbit...it's cute..._ , "I don't mind being friends with you, Oliver."

"Good! I'll make sure to be as helpful as I can!" Oliver smiled, making Lutz' heart beat a little faster. He didn't feel like this with anyone, not here or back home; usually the man has always kept to himself and not really having friends by his side. But here someone broke his barrier - and a Roman none less - but it made the blond man impressed about Oliver. The two of them remained on the hill in silence for the afternoon, just enjoying each other's company. By sunset, the scholar broke the sunset, "Let's head back. The streets can get dangerous after dark..." Lutz stood up and nodded as they both stood, dust off their tunics and started on the walk home. They made it back by the time the torches were lit and Marius greeted them both, "There you are! I was looking everywhere for you!" He looked at Oliver then at Lutz, "Prepare, Lutz, in two days, you're going to be thrown into the next level of fighting...one of the men in the bathhouse placed a bet and I am not going to lose to that old goat."

Both Oliver and Lutz glanced at each other, then the fighter nodded his head, "I will start early tomorrow on training then."

Lord Marius nodded, "Good. Oliver, we must speak - Lutz, I bid you good night."  They all departed ways, with Oliver glancing at the fighter once more to watch him go; luckily, Lutz did the same and nodded to him,which made the smaller man smile before disappearing into a room." That night, as he was laying in bed, the fighter's mind was doing it's best to focus on his next fight, but his thoughts went to thinking about Oliver. It made him fall asleep easily, dreaming about their times together including today - it was the first time the German man had a good dream since coming to Rome and it made him happy.


	4. Chapter 4

The two days before the next game was spent with mostly Oliver making sure all the fighters were fit enough to fight and Lutz practicing along with them. He kept quiet and was unable to bring himself to look at Lutz when he was rubbing salve on a bruise the fighter had on his arm. Of course, it was noticeable, and the larger man had to say something, “You’re too quiet for your own good…what’s wrong?”

Not stopping his work, Oliver waved it off, “It’s nothing…” He continued until the fighter grabbed his wrist, making the scholar notice how soft the hold was. Lutz then spoke again, “Something is wrong and lying doesn’t help.” A heavy sighed came from the smaller man as he looked around to make sure no one was around then spoke, “Father told me what you’re up against the lions today…I don’t like it because a first-time fighter goes up against them tend to get killed or they kill the lions. I hate it and I am worried that you will do the same…” Lutz didn’t know what a lion was, but it sounded like it was some dangerous animal, which made him curious as to why they made lions go against men. But seeing Oliver like this hit the German man’s soft spot – so he gently patted his friend’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine. I have ways with animals…I promise I won’t hurt myself nor will I harm these lions.”

“Promise?” The pink haired man asked, looking up at the other. Lutz smiled at the look because Ollie reminded him of that rabbit once more; so, he pets that soft hair again. “On my life, I swear no one and nothing will get hurt.” Returning with a small smile of his own, Oliver nodded, “Thank you, Lutz…that means a lot.” He finished up just as the scholar was being called for, so he smiled and excused himself with Lutz watching him go. But the fighter couldn’t help but watch those slender legs move before shaking his head to resume his training.  Oliver continued with his own work, but his mind was distracted about Lutz which made him not pay much attention. _Why am I so worried? These men know what they’re part of and Lutz can handle himself...but I can’t shake the feeling of him doing something regretful…_ He stopped to sit down to clear his head, “I shouldn’t be feeling so worried for him but…” the young man turned to watch the German, “...here I am worried for him…though, it’s normal since we’re friends. Friends worry about each other…” That evening, Oliver barely ate as he sat in his room sitting on the table as he looked out the window. He wasn’t looking forward to tomorrow’s event – which he usually was, but the scholar wasn’t fond of men fighting animals for fun.  “I pray to the gods they keep Lutz safe tomorrow…”

* * *

 

The following morning, everything started out the same for the athletes as they wee fed and prepped for the games. Lutz prepped himself and gave a small prayer of his own for a steady win in the games. Then joined Sadiq as they headed out towards the arena, being greeted by the sound o cheers from the large crowd who were waiting for the entertainment. Oliver did the same as his father and him went to join a couple of men who made the bets on Lutz. “Ahh, Marius! Do you think your newest fighter can stand against the emperor’s lions?” One of them asked, making the scholar’s eyebrow twitch as he father replied, “We’ll see. A man is much different than a lion in size and strength. So, we’ll see what happens.”  One of the older men scoffed, “You’re in a losing bet, Marius. No one can survive against an animal like that!” As they walked up the stairs sit down, Oliver was internally panicking about this. If he could, the young man would stop this, but he had no right nor had the power to do so.  He sat there in silence as the games begin, looking bored with the all the fighting but showed interest when Sadiq was up against another fighter. But then the announcer called out to the crowd for the special event with the crowding roaring when he announced the lion fight. _Here we go…_ , Oliver thought, curling his fingers against his thighs as he watched down below.

Lutz took a deep breath, giving a small prayer to his patron god as the gate opened with sounds of cheers greeting the man. He walked out, looking at everyone and spotting Oliver, before turning towards the emperor. The announcer called out, “My friends! Today, the emperor has decided on a lion fight to prove how strong our newest fighter is! Will he overcome the beast or succumb to the king of animals?” This made the audience cheer even louder, that man sure knows how to hype up a crowd…but what is this animal he speaks of? Lutz thought, moving to a fighting stance when a gate was opened, a deep growl came, and a large feline came running out. It’s head, covered in a long brown mane, was as high as Lutz’ chest, and he can clearly see the muscle that covered its body. When it roared, the German can see the vicious teeth as the animal began to circle the fighter – it’s golden brown eyes were locked on his own violet ones. “So, this is a lion? Not bad…”  Lutz replied, trying to figure out what to do – he needed to make this a good show while keeping his promise to Oliver.

The lion then darted after the German speed that was faster than anything he’s come across. It came up and swiped at Lutz, who stepped back to barely miss the claws. Catching his footing, the man didn’t back down as the large feline turned around and came back to attack him. It managed to get scratched the fighter’s thigh – not deep to cause severe damage, but enough to cause bleeding. This made the crowd cheer and Oliver was nervous as he watched his friend move, “Come on, Lutz…that lion is out for blood…” He leaned forward to get a better look, watching as the other man dodged each attack. The crowd roared for more blood as they cheered with the emperor watching with a slight smirk on his face.  Lutz had to think of something as he was circling around, claw marks covered his armor and his thigh. If he wasn’t on an adrenaline rush right now, it would be painful to move right now. _This crowd expects me to kill this animal or die by it…but I can tell it’s abused to be vicious like this…,_ Lutz thought, assessing his situation here.  He took one glance at the pink scholar then back at the lion, dropping his shield and sword; confusing the crowd as to what he will do.

Standing in their places, man and lion eyed each other with Lutz ready to take on the animal head on. “Well then, if you’re going to attack then come on…” He mumbled under his breath, smiling when the lion roared at him. It bared its teeth and ran after the fighter, attacking him with full force. This made the crowd gasp as Lutz was tackled down, avoiding any teeth and claws near vitals areas – the fighter grunted as he tried to figure out what to do. “Behave and we’ll both live!” He demanded, grunting as he is clawed at while the lion’s face was leaning closer to his, “I will not kill you…we’re both prisoners here and neither of us do not deserve death…” Lutz met eye to eye with the feline, staring at him before it stopped growling at the human. Oliver was watching his and internally panicking because all he can see was this large predator on top of his friend. Even his father was looking a bit worried while the older men were smiling with comments of ‘prepare to receive Marius’ earnings’. _What are you doing Lutz…?_ The scholar chewed on his lip, trying to tune out the jeers of the crowd screaming “Kill him! Kill it!”. He suddenly felt ill to his stomach as the fighter moved around underneath the lion. A shocking thing happened – the lion stepped back as Lutz stood up, holding a hand out to the animal. It licked its lips, walking back and forth before sitting down like a trained dog as it looked at the human.  Standing up despite his wounds, Lutz pointed at the lion, “Stay down.”  This confused the crowd because no one has ever seen a fighter tame the lions or let it stay alive. There was awkward silence as everyone looked towards the emperor, who looked down at the German then gave a few claps to show his praise. Soon after, everyone in the arena cheered and Oliver gave a huge sigh of relief, smiling as the older men were annoyed that they lost the bet. 

Lutz left the arena, heading back in to be checked over, noticing the bleeding scrapes on his legs and arms. Still on the adrenaline rush, the man barely felt any of the pain but knew he would be feeling it tomorrow morning. Marius and his son came in, greeting the fighter, “Well done, well done! You’re the first man whose ever tamed such a beast in the arena! It gave everyone, including the emperor himself, quite a shock – you have also help me win a bet with my colleagues” Nodding, Lutz leaned against the wall as he sat down, “Thank you. I never seen a lion until now, but all animals are the same.”  His lanista gently patted his shoulder, “Well then, let Oliver here patch you up and meet me back out here. We need to discuss your winnings!” The older man left the room, with Oliver nodding to him before rushing to hug the fighter, “That was crazy at what you did!’

“You said not to kill it, so I didn’t. Is that not what you wanted?”  The large man asked, looking puzzled as the Scholar looked back, “Y-Yes…I was worried…and now you’re hurt…” Lutz gave a small chuckle, “Nothing I haven’t gotten before, Oliver. I am fine really…” He looked at Oliver, noticing the chuckling didn’t changed the worry on the boyish face. Sighing, he moved a hand to gently ruffle that pink hair, “Hey, really I’m fine. It’s going to take much more than that to get me down and I will make sure I’ll keep myself safe…for you…” Oliver gave a half smile, blushing at the gentle touch, “You better…or I’ll come after you myself…” The fighter just gave a snort as he relaxed letting the smaller man wrap up his wounds.  Once done, he stood up and patted the scholar’s shoulder, “Thank you, Oliver. You’ve been a tremendous help to me and I appreciate it…” Lutz gave a small smile and turned to head out, leaving the smaller man staring there wide eyed. His heart skipped at the talk, blushing even more, “Y-Yea, no problem…” Oliver had to sit down, feeling his stomach get butterflies as Lutz’s words and smile ran through his mind. _Calm down, Oliver, this is no place to be like this right now…but that smile…I didn’t know utz had such a beautiful smile! I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile for anyone else…_

 Marius called out to his son that made the young scholar snap out of his thoughts, “Oliver? We’re leaving now, come on!” taking in a deep breath and gathering his supplies, Oliver turned to the exit, “I’m on my way!” He thought about how he suddenly felt, deciding to think about this for the rest of the day and not bringing it up. As he left, the scholar saw Lutz speaking with a few other men, then groaned, “This is going to be harder than I thought…”

That afternoon, they gathered for a feast with many praising Lutz’s performance. There were talks of the fighter appearing to different parties and was given rewards – all which consisted of a small payment, wine, and new clothing. This really didn’t interest the German man, but he kept it up appearance until he can finally get back home. As for Oliver, he was silent for the most part, lingering in the back with his wine and still looking slightly red in the face. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Lutz – when he did, his heart would beat faster, and he would be stuttering. The scholar barely ate anything and the only thing he wanted was to leave but it would be rude to the hose as well as his father.

One of the men who betted against Lutz came up to the scholar, making him straighten up, “Your father has found himself quite the fighter, Oliver. Who knew someone from the North can be tamed?” This made the smaller man twitch, but he played it cool, “Caius, don’t be rude. You’re talking about a fighter whose made is name known very fast.”  The older man, who looked a few years older than the scholar shrugged, “Doesn’t impress me. He hasn’t faced real challenges yet and for what I hear, some still don’t trust him. I would watch my back around him…something about that brute doesn’t sit well with me.”

Now, Oliver really wanted to get out of here, feeling his annoyance turn to anger slowly. He glanced at Lutz, who was listening to someone talk of his travels, then felt the same warm in his cheeks.  “Oliver? You okay?” Caius asked, being waved away, “Y-Yea…I don’t feel well and not up for celebrating…I’m just...going to head home now.”  The older man offered to take him home as he waved him away as he walked out of the gathering room. Lutz noticed him leave and frowned as he watched his friend leave; he now felt awkward because his only friend was gone, and he had no one to talk to besides Marius, but even then, he was going off with his own conversations.  He decided to remain where he was and check on the scholar later before retiring for the night, quietly listening once more to one of the men.

 Upon arriving home, Oliver went to his room to try and lay down, but his mind was too distracted with thoughts of the fighter. So, he ended up studying over the books he had on his desk, hoping that will help; it barely did but it was something for the scholar to help. This continued for an hour and half until a small pebble was tossed into his room, making Oliver perk up, “What the…?” Setting down his quill, the pink man leaned over to see Lutz looking up at him from down the hill, gesturing for him to come out. “Hmm…” Oliver slipped on his sandals and walked out his home, avoiding his father, who was still talking to someone before retiring for the night.  He then walked to Lutz, who nodded to him, “Good evening.”

“Hi…why are you still up? You should be resting.” The smaller man replied, looking confused as Lutz held up a hand and led them back to his place where a couple of candles were still lit with some food on the table. “Sit and eat. I know you didn’t eat anything while we were at the party.”  Oliver refused, but seeing the food, his stomach growled, and he had to give in; he sat down and picked at the food, trying not to eat too fast. “I’m the one whose suppose to be making sure you’re okay, not the other way around, Lutz.”

“You are no good to me if you are sick.” The fighter bluntly said, sitting down across from him, trying to show that he wasn’t in discomfort and pain.  “Now, you’ve been acting strange and it’s bugging me…usually you’re nonstop talking…”

Oliver looked away and cleared his throat, “Lutz, really? I didn’t want to bother you on your victory and everyone wanted to talk to you, so, I just kept my distance. That’s all!” Lutz wasn’t amused as he raised an eyebrow, “Don’t lie. I don’t liars and I thought we will be honest with each other?” _Damn, he’s right…but how can I tell him…?_ Sighing, the scholar leaned back in his chair, looking away, “I can tell you, but I’m afraid of how you will react.”  The larger man carefully folded his arms, “Depends on what it is.”

_Might as well tell him, Oliver…_ “Lutz, since becoming friend with you, I’ve been enjoying out time together and as my friend, I always manage to make sure you are okay. Today, when I saw you injured, I got worried that something will happen, and I-I wouldn’t be able to see you die.  I was relieved to see you were okay, besides the wounds you bare, and I was eager to path your right up but…” Oliver chewed on his bottom lip trying to find the right words as Lutz replied, “But what?” Letting out a deep breath, the Roman looked up, blue eyes meeting violet ones, “I realized I’ve falling hard for you, Lutz, and I am afraid. I don’t know how you feel about it, what you’ve been taught, and being our positions there’s another mess. But I can’t help it!” He was rambling as the fighter looked at him with wide eyes at the confession. Lutz rubbed his chin, looking off to the side, “Is this true?”

Oliver nodded, “Every word…”

“I see…” The fighter remained silent as he thought about it, making Oliver even more nervous about what the answer. "Well, back in my tribe, it wasn't normal for a man to be with another man because it didn't help the tribe to grow...a warrior like me is the perfect man to help produce strong children to carry on my name and lessons. Relations with one of the same wasn't uncommon, though, and often times it happened outside of a marriage." The scholar was losing hope, feeling that his feelings will not be accepted, "but," this made him perk up,"I've learned it's much different here in Rome. Very different and I've gotten used to the norms and customs here - eating the food, getting used to the way you all eat. I'm not changing completely because I want to remain just the same as did when I first arrived with some changes to my relationships."Lutz gave a small smile to the other man,"I like you as well, Oliver. You're the only citizen of this city that doesn't anger me; nor did I feel any negative emotions towards you. Honestly, being around you makes me calm and the more that continues, the more I feel...happy...I thought my happiness was gone along with me freedom but it was back when I met you." He took Oliver's hand, gently feeling the smooth skin under his rough fingers, "I want you close to me so I can have that happiness with me...if that's okay with you."

"Y-Yes...! Yes, of course!" The scholar exclaimed moving to hug the man a little too hard, pulling back when he heard a grunt form the German,"S-Sorry!" Lutz chuckle softly and kept his smile,"It's fine. It feels good to have the warmth of a hug again..." Oliver smiled, "You're going to get more than that..." He leaned in and gave a chaste kiss on Lutz' lips, fearing that was a mistake - but the fighter just hummed and took over the kiss, turning it from a simple peck to a long, deep kiss. This caught the pink man off guard as he melted into the kiss, humming softly and taking in the scent of dirt and sweat that lingered on the fighter. It lasted a few minutes before they finally broke the kiss to breath, staring at each other with Lutz, "Now, that was the best gift I got today."  Oliver blushed and smiled, giving the other man a hug, "Thank you Lutz..." 


End file.
